I made the mistake of using a real parts solvent in my HF tank. It ate all the rubber pieces in the pump. Now it acts as a stand for my Hilborn injectors.
I work with bio-diesel, and have used this stuff as parts cleaner for years. The bonus is it leaves an oily film which stops surface rust, and can be removed easily with wax& grease remover. Standard diesel works just as well, is not as volatile as spirits, etc, so doesn't stink the place out. And if you use biodiesel a lot, you will smell like hamburgers.
I was a solid 50% diesel, 50% liquid WD-40 man 10 years ago...gasoline had changed, and so did I. Then one day I found my misplaced 11:1 SBC pistons, soaking in the Walmart plastic sealed tub. Good Grief! They had a burned-on heavy oil residue (No, a COAT!) of tannish rubber-feeling skin, creepy to the touch... "Now, what in tarnation am I gonna use to wash THIS stuff off???" I asked self. It took the old standby, regular gasoline. And a lotta scrubbing! O'Reilly's has an engine and parts foaming cleaner that's purple. (Mineral spirits) Wife Joey brushed it on the O.T. German ZF 5 speed trans going in my sleek O.T. Three-letter car. Wow. The tranny had a 'film' all over it, (seal & 2 'O' rings) but after one application, light brushing...set 10 minutes, she washed it off with her High Pressure washer, and it's CLEAN! I might add: My F100 has a 350/T.H. tranny that is leaky, left a 4-foot dia. oil spot, wet, filthy. (I usually do that with gas, as it's my driveway) O'Reilly Purple and light brooming, the driveway is clean! (Former cleaning with gas was followed by a scrubbing with stiff broom and TIDE soap, that would do it. But now, I'm SAVED!)
Make sure a rodent didn't climb in there and die. Toss a few ounces of simple green in there. My buddy does that at his machine shop to de funk his CNC centers.
I wasn't aware biodiesel smelled Like burgers . used veg oil does or depending on where you got it. But no idea about actual pump bio diesel I will look into where they sell it and how it smells Closest I can describe this stench is a stronger smelling version of pb blaster the bad smelling version. I actually have a 5 gall container here of issuable but used bilstien r2000 ? Engine flush solution If anybody wants it they can have it Lake Tahoe area
We have a Safety Kleen tank in our shop now... Every time the man comes to dump out the old stuff and add new stuff to the tank, we add a quart of atf in there to kill the smell a little.... It helps!....
I've always enjoyed the smell of Safety Kleen and the good old Gunk carb and parts cleaner. You know, the stuff that would burn the hide off of you if you waited too long to rinse it off... Maybe that's what's wrong with me? [emoji848]
I've got Krud Kutter in my HF tank mixed about 4 to 1 with water but that stuff will eat paint an has eaten the paint off the inside of the tank. Cleans good though if a guy had a plastic tub as a solvent tank you should be good. Not hard on the hands if you don't get it washed off real quick. I think Purple Power might be what Atwater Mike's wife is using as I have used it and it works pretty good as he said she used it in that brush on and pressure wash off. I've used a lot of Oil Eater too but you want to be real careful that it doesn't splash in your eyes. Cleans great though.
I use "Isopar M", because it is discarded when it is very slightly discoloured at my work place. It has pretty well no odour. I have found diesel fuel to be a poor parts cleaner, but it sure seems to have gotten a lot less stinky than years ago. I have an oil furnace so am lucky that I can use up all the old solvent and oil that I generate.
The Jalopy Journal
